Can opener



Y. NAGANO CAN OPENER April 28, 1931.

Filed July 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR, oH/Ko M16/wo ATTORNEYS.

April 28, 1931. Y. NAGANO 1,802,443

CAN OPENER Filed July 50, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet` 2 A TTORNE YS.

Patented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED STATES YASUHIKO NAGANO, F LOS ANGEL-ES, CALIFORNIA CAN OPENER Application led `Tuly 30.

My Ainvention relates to can openers, and it has for a purpose the provision of a can opener which, in applied position to a can, is operable to remove the entire top of the can and in so doing to cut the can at the inner side of the double scam of the top in order that spilling of the contents of the can is precluded during the opening operation.

I will describe only two forms of can.'

l0 opener embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a view showing in side eleva- '15 tion and partly in section, one form of can other form of can opener embodying my invention,

Figure 7 1s a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the can opener-in a pol-l sition intermediate of the positions illus-y trated in Figures 5 and 6 and as applied to a can.

Figure 8 is a view showing the can opener of Figure -1 in end elevation.

Referring specifically to the form of can opener shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, 15 designates a fixed arm as distinguished from a movable arm 16 supported for lengthwise movement on the fixed arm by means of l screws 17 carried by the fixed arm and working' within slots 18 in the movable arm. The arms 15 and 16 are flat except at their forward ends where they are bent to forni ofl'set extremities 15 and 16 respectively, with the 1" extremity 15 carrying at its under side a cutting instrument 19 in the. form of a depending blade, the instrument being fixedly secured to the arm extremity by means of rivets 20. The extremity 16a is formed with an opening 21- in which the cutting instruplication and removal of the opener to and 1930. Serial N0. 471,844.

ment 19 is accommodated and in such manner that the cutting instrument does not interfere with the limited lengthwise movement of the extremity 16a.

The arm 16 at a point adjacent the extremity 16L has journaled therein a. spindle 22 to the lower end of which is fixed adriving roller having a toothed portion 23 and a frusto conical portion 24. On the upper end of the spindle 22 is a handle 25 which is adapted to be gripped in effecting rotation of the driving roller in the operation of the can opener. The spindle extends through a slot 26 in the arm 15, and which slot is elongated to allow the necessary relative movement of the arms 15 and 16 to cause the cutting instrument to penetrate the top of a can. The movable arm 16 is capable of occupying an advanced position as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and a retracted position as shown in 70 F lgure 3. For moving the arm to either of these two positions, I provide an operating lever 27 fulcrumed on the arm 15 at the point indicated at 28 and operatively connected to the arm 16 by means of a link 29 pivoted to 75 the lever by a pin '30 and connected to the arm 16 by a pin 31 extending into a slot 32 of the link. The link is employed for the purpose of retracting the arm 16 by moving the lever 27 from the position shown in Fig? nrc 2 to that shown in Figure 3. For advancing the arm 16, the forward endof the lever 27 lis shaped to provide a cam surface 33 which engages the rear or adjacent end of the arm '16 in the manner illustrated in Figure 2 and under turning movement of the lever moving the arm to the advanced position shown.

For this advanced movement of the arm 16, the driving roller R is likewise advanced into relatively close proximity to the cutting instrument 19. and conversely when the arm 16 is retracted, the driving roller is moved into greater spaced relation to the cutting in,- strument for the purpose of allowing the apfrom a can.

In the application of the can opener to a can, a member 3d is secured to the arml 16 with its forward end disposed at one-side ofy the cutting instrument 19 in order that it may engagethe upper edge of the can top and thus support the can opener against tilting so that the cutting instrument and driving roller will properly' function in the opening of a can.

The operation of the can opener is as follows:

To a ply the opener to a can, the driving roller is moved to the retracted positlon through operation of the lever 27 in order that there may be sufiicient space provided between the cutting instrument 19 andthe drivin roller to accommodate the upper edge o the can top.` In applying the opener, the cutting instrument is disposed at the inner side of the flange of the can top, while the driving roller is disposed at tlie outer side of the can, the opener in its entirety resuming an angular position with respect to the can and with the extremities 15a and 16'El disposed substantially in parallelism to the can to Ilow, by moving the lever 27 to the position shown in Figure 2 the driving roller R is advanced to engage the outer periphery of the can and to thereby draw the cutting instrument outwardly so that its blade is caused to penetrate the top of the can. Once this is accomplished, the driving roller is rotated by means of the handle 25, and under the biting action of the teeth 23 the can as a whole is rotated on the opener, thereby causing the cutting instrument to sever the vtop of the can.

Referring now to Figures 4 to 8 inclusive, I have here shown another form of can o ener embodying my invention which is c aracterized in the same respect as the other form of can opener in that it is adapted to cutthe can 'top at the inner side of tlie to contents during the cutting operation.

This can opener comprises a fixed arm 35 formed adjacent its forward end with a recess 36 and provided with a cutting inst-rument 37 between the recess and the forward end, and which instrument is secured to the arm by means of rivets 38. By means of a pin 39, a movable arm 40 is pivotally mounted on the fixed arm 35, and this arm has journaled in its forward end a spindle 41 to which is fixed a driving roller 42. Also fixed to the spindle 41 is a winged handle 43 by which the spindle and the driving roller can be manually rotated. An extension 44 is formed on the forward end of the arm 40 which is adapted` to engage the edge of the can top to guide thearm 40 into such a position with respectto the can that the driving wheel 42 and a can member to be described will have proper operative engagement with the can.

or the purpose of causing the cutting instrument to penetrate the top of a can so that b the subsequent rotation of the driving ro ler 42 the complete can top can be cut,

a member is provided and operable b the arm 40 to engage the under side of the s oulder seam of a can top vin such manner that the cutting instrument 37 is drawn down- Wardly with sufficient force to cause it to penetrate the can top. This member in the present instance comprises a plate 45 secured to the under side of the arm 40 by means of rivets 46. The forward transverse edge of the plate 45 is curved longitudinally as indicated at 47, and as will be clear from the drawings, the forward portion of the plate is curved to dispose the edge 47 spirally with respect to the axis 39.

In operation, the can opener can be applied to a can having a shouldered top seam,as illustrated iii Figures 4 and 7, by first moving the arm 40 to the open position shown in Figure 6. In this position of the opener, the cutting instrument 37 is disposed at the inner side of the top seam, while the actuating member 45 is dis osed adjacent the periphery of the can. ow by moving the arm 40 toward the closed position shown in Figure 5, the member 45 is actuated to cause its edge 47 to engage the periphery of the can directly beneath the shouldered seam, and by continued movement of the member the edge 47 is caused to abut the shouldered seam and by reason of its spiral form it operates to move both arms 35 and 40 downwardly a distance sufiicient to cause the cutting instrument 37 to penetrate thetop of the can. The manner in which the edge 47 engages the shouldered can seam is clearly illustrated in Figure 7.

In the final closed position of the arm 40 as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the edge 47 of the member 45 has moved partly out of P engagement with the periphery of the can seam or flange to prevent the spilling of the and the driving roller 42 into engagement with the can periphery. Thus by rotation ofthe driving roller through the winged handle 43, the can as a whole is fed circumferentially between 'the cutter and the roller to cause the cutter to sever the top of the can.

Although I have herein shown and described only two forms of can opener enibodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and sco e of the appended claims.

1. A can opener comprising a pair of arms pivoted to occupy either of two extreme positions, a cutter on one of the arms adapted to engage a can top at the inner side of the shouldered seam, a driving roller on the other arm adapted to be positioned at the outer side of said shouldered seam, a member on that arm carrying the driving roller operable upon moving the arms from one eXtreme position to the other to engage said shoulthe cutter downwardly into the can top, said driving roller being movable by the arms to engage the periphery of the can after the cutter has penetrated the can top, and means for rotating the driving roller.

A can opener as embodied in claim l wherein said member comprises a plate having a curved edge, and the plate being bent to dispose said edge spirally with respect to the pivot of said arms.

f-. A can opener comprising a pair of arms pivoted one on the other to occupy open and closed positions, a cutter ou one of-the arms, av driving roller on the other arm spaced from the cutter when the arms are in open position to allow the cutter to be positioned at the inner side of the shouldered top seam of a can and the roller at the outer side of the can, and when in closed position to cause the roller to engage the outer side of the can, means on the roller-carrying arm operable upon movement of the arms to closed position to first engage beneath the shouldered top seam of the can and force both arms downward on the can to cause the cutter to penetrate the can top, and to then disengage the can when the arms reach closed position, and means for rotating the roller.

4. A can opener comprising a pair of arms pivoted one on the other to occupy open and closed positions, a cutter on one of the arms,

a driving roller on the other arm spaced from i the cutter when the arms are in open position to allow the cutter to be positioned at the inner side of the shouldered top seam of a can and the roller at the outer side of the can, and when in closed position to cause the roller to engage the outer side of the can, means on the roller-carrying arm operable upon movement of the arms to closed position to first engage beneath the shouldered top seam of the can and force both arms downward on the can to cause the cutter to penetrate the can top', and to then disengage the can when the arms reach closed position, an extension on the roller-carrying arm so positioned as t0 engage ythe top edge of the can and guide said arm into such a position 011 the can that the roller and said means will have proper operative engagement with the can when the arms are in closed position, and means for rotating the roller.

5. A can opener comprising a pair of arms pivoted one on the other to occupy open and closed positions, a cutter on one of the arms at an angle thereto, a driving roller on the other arm and in a plane at an angle to that of the cutter, said roller spaced from the cutter when the arms are in open position to allow the cutter to be positioned at the inner .side of the shouldered top seam of the can and the roller at the outer side of the can, and to cause the roller to engage the outer side of the can when the arms are in closed position, means on the roller-carrying.arm opn erable upon movement of the arms to closed position to first engage beneath the shouldered seam ofthe can top and force both arms dowmvard to cause the cutter to penetrate the can top, and to disengage the can upon the arms reaching'closed position, and means for rotating the roller. n

G. A can opener as embodied 1n claim 1 wherein the rollercarrying arm is provided with an extension so positioned thereon as to engage the top can edge and guide said arm into such a posit-ion 011 the can that the roller and said member will have proper operative engagement with the can.

YASUHIKO NAGANO. 

